99% Invisible — “Audio Flux”
Host: Roman Mars
Guest: Julie Shapiro (co-creator of Audioflux)
Date: January 20, 2026
Overview
This episode of 99% Invisible with Roman Mars dives into the world of Audioflux, a project created by Julie Shapiro and John Delore to champion short-form, experimental audio storytelling. As the podcasting ecosystem has shifted towards longer-form, conversational formats, Audioflux seeks to celebrate creativity, constraint, and diversity in audio through a series of themed, three-minute audio “Flux Works.” Mars and Shapiro discuss the origin, purpose, and format of Audioflux and share notable submissions from recent circuits, highlighting how design in storytelling flourishes with limitation.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Origins and Motivation of Audioflux
- Decline in Short-Form Audio: Julie and John saw the podcasting landscape becoming dominated by long-form content, sidelining shorter, creative storytelling (02:07, 02:40).
- A Response to Industry Fatigue: Both were in transitional moments in their careers and saw widespread creative fatigue—Audioflux was created as “something to appreciate, you know, audio for the sake of audio” and to uplift the community (03:24).
- Community and Spirit: The project serves to both invigorate their own spirits and to offer a rejuvenating creative challenge to the audio community (03:24).
Quote:
“If you invite people to make something and give them a little bit of parameters to play with… it always works. You can always invite people to get creative and they will always respond in some fashion."
—Julie Shapiro (01:48)
How Audioflux Works
- Twice-Yearly ‘Circuits’: Each circuit teams with a new creative partner (e.g., illustrator, writer), generating a fresh theme and prompts each time (04:33).
- Three-Minute Limit: Each piece (“Flux Work”) must be exactly three minutes—a nod to the classic pop song and an approachable entry point (04:52).
- Structure: Invited commissions, open call submissions, winners presented at live events, online release, and now the podcast (06:06).
- Community Engagement: Emphasis on debuting works at public events to build community (06:06).
Quote:
“Three-minute pop songs are very popular. And these Flux Works almost end up being like little pop songs that you can listen to over and over.”
—Julie Shapiro (04:59)
- Purposeful Constraint: The tight structure serves as a counterpoint to the sprawl of modern podcasts and a “protest” against loss of imagination in the medium (05:41).
Expanding the Definition of a Podcast
- Encouraging Experimentation: The format gives both emerging and established producers space to try new styles or approach personal stories in a new way (11:14).
- Podcast as Showcase: The Audioflux podcast collects and celebrates these works, emphasizing brevity and creative freedom (40:04).
Featured Flux Works & Segment Timestamps
1. The Sound of Silence by Gregory Warner
Theme: Letting Go (with artist Wendy McNaughton)
[07:52–10:53]
- Warner narrates the unexpected arrival of enchanting “tones” his wife hears when meditating during the pandemic, later revealed as tinnitus—a condition reflecting both loss and the mind’s search for meaning.
- Poignant integration of personal anecdote and scientific explanation.
Memorable Quote:
“Tinnitus is the sound of the brain’s refusal to let go of what it once had.”
—Gregory Warner (09:47)
2. In Between Silence by Talia Augustidis
Theme: Listening With (inspired by Annea Lockwood and Sam Green’s 32 Sounds)
[13:13–16:06]
- Audio collage blending the narrator’s London soundscape with first-hand accounts from Gaza residents, centering on the omnipresent “Zenana” (drone) buzz and the meaning of true silence under siege.
- Contrasts periods of quiet and noise, exploring silence as both respite and foreboding.
Notable Quote:
“The drones feel so familiar in Gaza that they’ve earned a nickname—Zenana. It means an annoying buzzing... A buzzing which becomes near constant during periods of increased violence.”
—Gaza Resident, voiced in piece (13:48)
3. The Ghost on Side B by Caitlin Halewood & Alan Gifinski
Theme: Firsts / First Times (with writer Jason Reynolds)
[21:50–24:35]
- The surprise discovery of a father’s voice on an old cassette, lost and found by chance, turns a mundane tape into an emotional portal across space and time.
- Sound design immerses listeners in the tactile and emotional sensation of analog technology and memory.
Memorable Quote:
“Hearing my dad for the first time didn’t feel like looking at a photograph. It felt like touch. Tiny spools with reels of magnetic tape coiled into a plastic cassette. This was a portal.”
—Caitlin Halewood (24:21)
4. First Words by Peter Lang Stanton
Theme: Firsts / First Times
[28:00–31:41]
- A time-lapse journey through the first two years of a child's life, capturing the slow emergence of language and the deep yearning for first words.
- Juxtaposes generational home movies, parental impatience, and the eventual wonder of communication.
Notable Quote:
“Imagine a new roommate. But you can’t talk to each other for the first two years.”
—Peter Lang Stanton (29:34)
5. Red Card by Vivian Schutz & Laura Rojas Aponte
Theme: Creative Tension (with Lorna Hamilton Brown, the “Banksy of Knitting”)
[33:59–37:04]
- Centered on the distribution and symbolism of “red cards” that inform U.S. immigrants of their rights during law enforcement encounters—a small, powerful object in the battle for civil liberties.
- Mixes market vendor testimony, activist scholarship, and direct readings of the cards, blending art and activism.
Memorable Quotes:
“...the red card is a beautiful symbol, but at the same time, to me, it is also kind of an index of how tiny, how little, how fragile our rights are.”
—Activist/Scholar (35:57)
“As a printmaker, what I can do is print something for you… but when those things are not effective, I don’t know what to do.”
—Lorna Hamilton Brown (36:44)
Additional Insights & Reflections
- The Power of Constraint: Limiting stories to three minutes democratizes participation, lowers creative barriers, and re-ignites playfulness and risk-taking in audio (04:59, 05:41).
- Community & Evolution: Audioflux bridges new and veteran creators, often fostering ideas that grow into larger projects (27:20).
- Art as Response: Flux Works like “Red Card” illustrate design’s role at the intersection of art, activism, and the lived experiences of marginalized communities (37:13, 37:57).
- Changing Media Landscape: Roman notes nostalgia for an era when short, creative audio storytelling was the norm, and celebrates Audioflux for reviving and evolving this tradition (38:35, 39:10).
Notable Quotes
- “I want to expand your definition of what a podcast can be.”
—Roman Mars (02:56) - “There’s such a boundless possibility for storytelling even in this short duration.”
—Julie Shapiro (16:21) - “Stories like this… tell a full story of the world that we’re in through a small object.”
—Roman Mars (37:04) - “Speaking them, it’s what sort of gives them their power. Rights not used are rights lost.”
—Roman Mars (37:57)
How to Get Involved & Further Links
- Participate: Anyone can submit to Audioflux’s biannual open call (39:45).
- Podcast: Audioflux’s own show features short, curated Flux Works—“maybe 10 minutes, 20 at the most”—hosted by Amy Pearl (40:04).
- Website: Learn more and sign up at [audioflux.org] or via their social media.
Closing Tone
Roman Mars and Julie Shapiro’s rapport is warm, creative, and deeply appreciative of audio as an art form. The episode is a rallying cry for experimentation, brevity, and the revival of creative community in a podcasting world often fixated on length.
Final Invitation:
“Every single person listening to this is very welcome to give it a go and submit to the next circuit, which should be launching at the end of February.”
—Julie Shapiro (39:45)
This episode is a testament to the possibility and vibrancy of short-form audio storytelling—a true celebration of design in a medium we often take for granted.